LONG BEACH, Calif. --- Senior Scott Claypool (Hudson, OH/Hudson HS) set two Pac-10 Championship meet records to lead top-ranked Stanford University to its 17th straight conference title on Thursday-Saturday in Long Beach. The Cardinal finished with 962 points, while No. 6 USC was second with 700.5.

Stanford's 17 titles is a Pac-10 record for consecutive conference titles in any sport. The previous record of 13 was set by the UCLA men's basketball team from 1967-79.

Claypool set conference meet records in the 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle. The 17-time All-American won the 50 in 19.57 (previous record 19.80) and the 100 in 43.18 (43.24).

Senior Tom Wilkens (Middletown, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy), the defending NCAA champion and school record holder in the 400 IM, was the Cardinal's other double-winner. Wilkens set a meet record in the 200 breast in a time of 1:56.60 (old record 1:56.93), and also won the 400 IM (3:47.75).

Stanford won 12 of the 21 events contested, including four of the five relays.

The Cardinal will next compete in the NCAA Championships in Auburn, Alabama on March 26-28.

Swimming:
March 6-8, 1998
Long Beach, California

Diving: 
February 26-28, 1998
Tempe, Arizona

Final Team Standings    Day 1       Day 2   Final
1. #1 Stanford          303         661.5   962
2. #6 USC               190         482.5   700.5
3. #8 California        160.5       366.5   580.5
4. #13 Arizona State    124         344     507
5. #11 Arizona          130.5       284.5   417.5
6. Washington           65          143     219
 
Stanford Finishers Only:
Event                   Trials  Finals      Place
50 Freestyle
Scott Claypool          19.71   19.57***    1st
(***new meet record; old record of 19.80 set by Arizona State's 
  Francisco Sanchez in 1997)
Justin Ewers            20.23   20.20       T3rd
Sabir Muhammad          20.14   20.20       T3rd
Anthony Robinson        20.23   20.27       5th
Chris Olson             20.43   20.84       14th
Jed Crowe               20.77   20.29       17th
Dan Schultz             21.56   -----       33rd
Mario Scussel           20.72   -----       unoff.
Kurt Spenser            20.75   -----       unoff.
Matthew Pierce          21.79   -----       unoff.

100 Freestyle
Scott Claypool          43.36   43.18***    1st
(***new meet record; old record of 43.24 set by Arizona State's 
Francisco Sanchez in 1997)
Dod Wales               44.01   43.70       2nd
Glenn Counts            44.28   44.12       4th
Jed Crowe               45.01   44.81       10th
Anthony Robinson        45.97   45.41       17th
Chris Olson             45.77   46.40       23rd
Kurt Spenser            45.50   -----       unoff.
Mario Scussel           45.61   -----       unoff.

200 Freestyle
Bela Szabados (USC)     1:37.14 1:36.29     1st
Glenn Counts            1:38.14 1:37.03     4th
Adam Messner            1:37.68 1:37.16     5th
Scott Claypool          1:36.52 -----       unoff.
Steven Neebe            1:39.67 -----       unoff.
Kurt Spenser            1:40.04 -----       unoff.
Mario Scussel           1:40.89 -----       unoff.

500 Freestyle
Ryk Neethling (Arizona) 4:23.31 4:17.70     1st
Adam Messner            4:23.54 4:22.24     2nd
Jeremy Kane             4:22.26 4:22.42     3rd
Steven Brown            4:25.57 4:24.49     4th
Matt O'Mara             4:23.06 4:34.45     8th
Steven Neebe            4:25.63 -----       unoff.

1650 Freestyle
Ryk Neethling (Arizona) -----   14:47.38    1st
Jeremy Kane             -----   15:04.19    2nd
Matt O'Mara             -----   15:06.74    3rd
Adam Messner            -----   15:26.75    5th
Steven Neebe            -----   15:49.90    unoff.
 
100 Backstroke  
Lenny Krayzelburg (USC) 48.58   47.57       1st
Justin Ewers            48.19   48.05       2nd
Tate Blahnik            48.21   48.15       3rd
Sabir Muhammad          48.83   48.51       4th
Dan Schultz             48.51   48.77       5th
Matthew Pierce          49.89   49.37       8th
Tom Wilkens             51.50   -----       unoff.

200 Backstroke
Lenny Krayzelburg (USC) 1:46.05 1:42.96     1st
Tate Blahnik            1:45.01 1:43.90     2nd
Justin Ewers            1:45.20 1:44.45     5th
Dan Schultz             1:45.83 1:45.89     6th
Rob Canales             1:45.92 1:46.33     7th
Casey Ketterling        1:50.87 -----       unoff.

100 Breaststroke
Blake Holden            55.30   54.62       1st
Anthony Robinson        55.36   55.22       4th
Steve Ronson            56.17   56.48       8th

200 Breaststoke
Tom Wilkens             1:58.29 1:56.60***  1st
(new meet record; old record of 1:56.93 set by Stanford's Kurt Grote in 1993)
Blake Holden            1:57.86 1:57.88     2nd
Steve Ronson            2:03.71 2:03.69     7th

100 Butterfly   
Dod Wales               46.95   46.64***    1st
(new meet record; old record of 46.88 set by Stanford's Sabir Muhammad in 1995)
Sabir Muhammad          47.39   47.24       3rd
Jed Crowe               48.28   48.02       5th
Matthew Pierce          48.91   48.35       9th
Chris Olson             51.19   49.79       17th

200 Butterfly
Matthew Pierce          1:46.58 1:45.84     1st
Steven Brown            1:48.59 1:46.97     3rd

200 Individual Medley
Glenn Counts            1:47.99 1:47.35     1st
Tom Wilkens             1:48.26 1:47.49     2nd
Rob Canales             1:48.50 1:48.94     4th
Blake Holden            1:49.48 1:49.84     7th
Dod Wales               1:49.71 1:49.90     10th
Steve Ronson            1:50.80 1:50.64     12th
Casey Ketterling        1:56.63 -----       unoff.

400 Individual Medley
Tom Wilkens             3:49.44 3:47.75     1st
Rob Canales             3:52.15 3:51.40     T5th
Steven Brown            3:51.94 3:52.12     7th
Jeremy Kane             3:56.71 3:55.96     11th
Matt O'Mara             4:00.09 -----       DQ
Casey Ketterling        4:02.94 -----       unoff.

200 Free Relay
Stanford A  -----       1:18.94 1st
(Anthony Robinson 20.48, Sabir Muhammad 19.54, Justin Ewers 19.65, 
Scott Claypool 19.27)
Stanford B              -----   1:23.24     unoff.
(Chris Olson 20.78, Mario Scussel 20.20, Steven Neebe 21.27, Dan Schultz 20.99)
Stanford C              -----   1:25.21     unoff.
(Kurt Spenser           20.55, Tate Blahnik 21.59, Casey Ketterling 21.94, 
Matthew Pierce 21.13)

400 Free Relay
Stanford A              -----   2:51.88***  1st
(Justin Ewers 43.85, Sabir Muhammad 42.83, Dod Wales 42.74, 
Scott Claypool 42.46)
(new meet record; old record of 2:54.10 set by Stanford in 1993)
Stanford B              -----   3:00.33     unoff.
(Anthony Robinson 44.74, Adam Messner 44.98, Jed Crowe 44.65, Chris Olson 45.96)
Stanford C              -----   3:02.71     unoff.
(Kurt Spenser 45.42, Mario Scussel 45.15, Steven Brown 46.15, Rob Canales 45.99)